Torque app displays P0340 camshaft sensor

[Dobiwallah]

Hi, I went from the Pacman rom back to the stock Samsung firmware (rooted) and was finally able to get my ELM327 back to working on my Android phone. The first thing I checked was the motor management fault codes. To my surprise it displayed P0340 - Powertrain Cam Shaft Position Sensor "A" circuit (bank 1 or Single Sensor)

I reset the fault, but it came back during my drive to my work. I do not notice anything during driving. Iddle is 773rpm, accelerating goes as fast as it normal does. Do I miss something? I thought if your cam sensor is faulty, you would notice. There is no dashboard warning light on or whatsoever.

 

[t-tony]

When the inlet cam sensor failed on my car you certainly knew about it.

Tony.

 

[zedonist]

There are three possible outcomes for this code, ECU, Wiring or the Sensor its self, the sensor is there to check engine timing, on cars with a timing belt it normally produces the code when the belt stretches snpd the timing goes out, on the Z3 there is not a timing belt (M44 certainly, think it is vanos on 6 pots), therefore it is normally the sensor that has gone.

When mine was going it just had an intermittent fault, idled and drive well at all other times, I would check the wiring to make sure it is in good order, and I doubt it is the ECU, so I would change the cam sensor.

 

[Ashbandicoot]

I was told that the cam sensor has a useful life of around 6 years and guy working on my car was shocked that it had never been changed from the factory, ran a diagnostic but didn't throw up any fault codes. I would go with replacing the sensor - apparently the aftermarket sensors are prone to wear thought so I would opt for BMW.

Is the ELM / torque app worth using on the Zed? I had looked at these a few months back

cheers

Ash

 

[Dobiwallah]

There are three possible outcomes for this code, ECU, Wiring or the Sensor its self, the sensor is there to check engine timing, on cars with a timing belt it normally produces the code when the belt stretches snpd the timing goes out, on the Z3 there is not a timing belt (M44 certainly, think it is vanos on 6 pots), therefore it is normally the sensor that has gone.

When mine was going it just had an intermittent fault, idled and drive well at all other times, I would check the wiring to make sure it is in good order, and I doubt it is the ECU, so I would change the cam sensor.

Mine is probably 14 years old, I will look it up in the history which I got from the previous owner.

I was told that the cam sensor has a useful life of around 6 years and guy working on my car was shocked that it had never been changed from the factory, ran a diagnostic but didn't throw up any fault codes. I would go with replacing the sensor - apparently the aftermarket sensors are prone to wear thought so I would opt for BMW.

Is the ELM / torque app worth using on the Zed? I had looked at these a few months back

cheers

Ash

The app is not a tremendous help for the Zed, but just fun to have. You can place custom dials on your screen. I saw on the internet guys who replaced their dashboard for a tablet with this app. I won't go that far... You can record movies with a map in the background.

 

[Cooper]

I also get a similar reading on my 2.2i with the app but i cannot fault the car in any way. I am just going to ignore it until it actually fails and/or causes issues.

The apps that are controlled by the ELM are interesting but really offer little more than eye candy however, in some of them you can set up audio alerts to warn you if something goes wrong - IE the coolant temp gets out of specs! I have a cheap ELM device and I have to pull it out and put it back in to get it to work each time. Works on My Samsung Galaxy Tab and S4 but no so good on the S2.

It's best to get the devices that plug into the round 20 pin socket under the bonnet for real engine management tools.

 

[zedonist]

The apps Dashcommand and EOBD Facile are quite good, they read all the modules that can be read on the Z3 with the exception of ABS, I think the limiting factor is actually the Z3 and not the apps, there are not that many sensors on a Z3 compared to a more modern vehicle.

You also need to have in mind that none of these apps and indeed OEM fault finding software can tell you what the actual fault is, all they can do is narrow down the system and the circuit involved, you then have to do some testing to find what has actually gone wrong, which means you need to know how the cars work, otherwise it is useless.

 

[Cooper]

The apps Dashcommand and EOBD Facile are quite good, they read all the modules that can be read on the Z3

That using the connector under the bonnet though (only) - correct?

 

[zedonist]

Yes cooper, that's all I've got on my Z3

 

[Dobiwallah]

exception of ABS, I think the limiting factor is actually the Z3 and not the apps, there are not that many sensors on a Z3 compared to a more modern vehicle.

You are probably right about that, I have used carsoft with a laptop, on the OBD2 port and the round port under the bonnet, but I could not get a connection with all the modules.

 

[zedonist]

No you won't, you need INPA and a USB cable to access all modules available which means you need a windows laptop as well

 

[Dobiwallah]

I used a serial to usb converter and Inpa. I remember it was quite a job to install it. Still not all the modules available. I could see airbag info and other stuff. Move my windows up and down via the laptop. I tried it via the round connector and the OBD2 port, same results